New Housing Planned To Replace Stables On Edge Of Wood Street Village

Published on: 3 Nov, 2025
Updated on: 3 Nov, 2025

CGI showing the proposed development in Wood Street Village. (Credit: Guildoak Ltd/ Guildford Borough Council documents)

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporting service

A group of old stables on the edge of Wood Street Village could soon be turned into new homes, if plans from a family-run developer get the green light from Guildford Borough Council.

Guildoak Ltd has applied to build 18 houses at Hill Place Farm, just off Oak Hill. The company says half of them would be classed as affordable homes, and two are set to be built to eco-friendly standards, meaning they would be well-insulated and cheap to heat.

The land sits just outside the main part of the village and technically counts as Green Belt. But the developer’s planning team says it should really be seen as “Grey Belt”: land that has already been built on and does not make much difference to the countryside.

Guildoak describes itself as a “small, family-run business” that focuses on “leaving a positive legacy for future generations”. If the plans go ahead, the development could bring a mix of affordable and private homes, new green space, and what the developer calls a “boost for the local economy”.

The company says the project would tidy up a scruffy corner of the site and provide much-needed homes for local people. Guildoak Ltd also say they will help fund repairs to the nearby Grade II listed Hill Place Farmhouse, which has seen better days.

The developers have promised to include a large area of open space and plenty of planting to keep the area looking green and screen the homes from the historic farmhouse.

In planning papers, Guildoak says the scheme would make a “valuable contribution” to Guildford’s housing shortage. The council can currently show just 2.89 years’ worth of housing land, well short of the Government’s five-year target.

The company says the site would be accessed from Oak Hill and include car parking, walking routes and new landscaping. There could also be contributions towards local transport and education through a legal agreement.

Residents can comment on the application until November 28. Guildford Borough Council will decide on the application later this year.

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